As of this afternoon, the city of Brandon remains under an extreme cold warning. From Environment Canada, "An Arctic ridge of high pressure has allowed for a very cold air mass to settle over southern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba". Wind chill values in some regions of southern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba could eclipse the -50 mark tonight into Monday morning. The cold air is expected to remain for much of the week and it is advised you dress warmly in layers that you can remove if you get too warm. 

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On February 5, 2021, police responded to a report of a vehicle alarm sounding from a compound in the 400 block of Rosser Ave.  The locked gate to the compound had been cut.  An unknown suspect forcibly entered two sheds within the compound prior to police arrival.  Taken from one of the sheds was a metal bed frame.  Anyone with information regarding this Break and Enter and Theft is encouraged to contact Brandon Police service. 

Manitoba’s public schools system will see another increase in the Funding of Schools Program for the 2021-22 school year of $20.8 million, or 1.56 per cent, for a total $1.35 billion, the highest total investment in Manitoba’s history, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today. The increase includes $6.7 million, or a 0.5 per cent increase to base funding for public schools, and this year’s commitment includes an additional $5.5 million for special needs funding for school divisions, along with other grants. This special needs funding supports students with disabilities and with exceptional needs, providing student specific supports determined by school teams such as educational assistants or assistive technology. “This announcement continues our commitment to the success of students by making record levels of annual investment in our student’s education while also keeping our students, teachers and staff safe,” said Cullen. “Our education system is one of the best funded in Canada, and parents need to know that our government will continue to support their children’s futures.” Manitoba has the third-highest spending per student in Canada at $14,815, after Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. The province committed that school divisions would not see their funding reduced due to enrolment variations because of COVID-19. The province will also continue to ensure all school divisions receive no less than 98 per cent of the operating funding they received a year earlier. School divisions also raise revenue through local education property taxes. The Manitoba government will continue to support Manitobans by reducing the local property tax burden for ratepayers. School divisions will freeze their education property taxes and the province will provide a Property Tax Offset Grant equivalent to a two per cent property tax increase or $22.8 million. This is over and above the $20.8 million commitment for the Funding of Schools Program. “The province remains committed to modernizing Manitoba’s education system to ensure our students are well prepared for whatever path they choose, whether it is post-secondary education, joining the workforce or staring their own business,” said Cullen. “Our students, parents and education staff need to know that regardless of the challenges we are facing, we will be there to support their educational needs and to ensure their children have the best opportunity for success.” This annual funding commitment builds upon the previous announcement to support schools with the $185-million Safe Schools Funding for COVID-related expenses. (Province of MB News Release)

The Manitoba government has appointed Patrick Sullivan as a provincial court judge to serve in Brandon, Justice Minister Cameron Friesen announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Sullivan as a provincial court judge to serve in Brandon,” said Friesen. “Patrick has demonstrated exemplary service to the Westman community over the last 10 years as an attorney in a variety of capacities, and he is certainly well-suited to sit on the provincial court of Manitoba.” Born and raised in Brandon, Sullivan graduated from Brandon University before studying law at the University of Victoria. He was called to the bar in 2010. Since 2015, Sullivan has been a partner in Brandon's largest law firm, Meighen Haddad LLP. He maintains an active general practice and has had diverse experience in the areas of criminal, civil and family litigation, wills and estates and corporate commercial transactions. Sullivan has also volunteered in the Westman Immigrant Services legal clinic and served on the boards of the Brandon and Area Community Foundation, Marquis Project, YMCA and the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation. Sullivan was selected from a list of candidates recommended by the judicial appointment committee, chaired by Chief Judge Margaret Wiebe. This committee also included three community representatives, from the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Bar Association and a provincial court judge. The appointment is effective immediately. An official swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled for Sullivan in the near future. (Province of MB News Release)

After safely implementing modest changes to public health orders to slowly reopen the economy, Manitoba’s COVID-19 curve continues to bend in the right direction, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial health officer, announced today, noting the province is considering further loosening some restrictions, while continuing to prioritize the needs of the health- care system and protecting Manitobans from the risks of COVID-19 and new variants. “I want to thank Manitobans for their patience and their commitment to follow to the guidelines and public health orders as we cautiously begin to restart our economy and reopen our communities,” said Pallister. “While Manitoba’s COVID cases continue to trend in the right direction, we must not lose sight of the gains we have made and the risks associated with vaccine delays and new COVID variants. We must, and will, proceed with caution to ensure we continue to protect and safeguard Manitoba lives.” The province is considering the following changes for all of Manitoba is and asking Manitobans for their input on:• allowing food services, including restaurants and lounges, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with closure time of 10 p.m., limited to patron groups of household members;• allowing personal services, including nail salons and tattoo parlours, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with adequate physical distancing, enhanced personal protective equipment measures and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.• allowing gyms to reopen at 25 per cent capacity for one-on-one and individual training sessions with adequate physical distancing, with no group classes;• allowing places of worship to reopen at a maximum of 10 per cent capacity or 50 people, whichever is lower;• allowing libraries to reopen at a maximum of 25 per cent capacity, limited to patron groups of household members;• allowing organized outdoor sports to resume for games or practices (no multi-team tournaments);• clarifying that addictions support and treatment groups can operate with adequate physical distancing measures in place;• allowing the film industry to resume work, with safety protocols in place;• opening public washroom facilities with 25 per cent capacity and enhanced signage;• increasing capacity for weddings to up to 10 people in addition to the officiant and photographer; and• allowing photographers to resume operations outdoors and with studio capacity limited to patron groups of household members only. “We’re in a stable place right now – our data is not showing evidence of a spike as a result of the reopening measures put in place Jan. 23. However, the next few weeks will be crucial to determine whether any COVID-19 variants have entered Manitoba and their impacts,” said Roussin. “Of course, the fundamentals – including physical distancing, frequent handwashing, mask wearing and staying home when sick – still apply, and are what will help us gradually reopen more activities and services when it is safe to do so.” The proposed plan brings the entire province under the same restrictions, enabling the northern region to observe restrictions the rest of the province will continue to have in place including household visitor restrictions of up to two designated people, visits of five people plus members of a household on an outdoor private property, retail stores open at 25 per cent capacity or 250 people maximum with adequate physical distancing and non-regulated health services, hair salons and barbershops open with 25 per cent capacity and adequate physical distancing. The province is asking for feedback from Manitobans on the proposed changes, which would come into effect next week to replace the current public health orders that expire at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 12. To provide input, visit https://engagemb.ca/. Manitobans provided feedback that helped form the orders beginning Jan. 23, which saw the safe, modest reopening of Manitoba’s economy, as well as the basis for the proposed changes above, the premier said. More than 73,000 responses were provided between Jan. 15 and 19 and indicated:• 85 per cent of respondents strongly or somewhat agreed it is important the province reopen gradually, preventing a yo-yo return to restrictions in future;• 61 per cent of respondents indicated the ability for children and young people to participate in organized sports and recreation is very important or important;• 62 per cent of respondents are very or somewhat comfortable going to restaurants; and• 49 per cent of respondents said that the ability to have more people attend a wedding than the current five-person limit is very important or important. Results of the survey will be posted on the EngageMB website once completed. For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.